Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,338 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
Learn more

Caracas Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Caracas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Caracas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,338 in Caracas, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Caracas $1,338

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,235 in Caracas, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Caracas $2,235

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $3,133 in Caracas, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Caracas $3,133

Medellin costs about 21% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Caracas is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$10.98 VES 9,642

-24.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$67.1 VES 58.9K

-30.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$11.16 VES 9,796

-17.20%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.55 VES 3,114

-14.08%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.52 VES 1,332

18.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.30 VES 1,144

6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.06 VES 1,805

57.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.05 VES 2,680

82.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.64 VES 2,313

-43.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.31 VES 2,032

2.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.85 VES 1,624

-8.11%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$4.64 VES 4,076

-36.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$10.35 VES 9,083

-1.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$9.20 VES 8,074

5.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$11.64 VES 10.2K

19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$7.43 VES 6,525

-44.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.04 VES 1,794

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.20 VES 1,931

0.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.38 VES 2,087

-4.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.24 VES 1,965

-11.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.23 VES 1,958

-25.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.62 VES 1,424

-27.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$2.41 VES 2,119

-48.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.71 VES 4,132

-17.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$11.84 VES 10.4K

16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.42 VES 1,246

16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.09 VES 1,839

14.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.51 VES 448

143.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$30.43 VES 26.7K

157.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$5.08 VES 4,459

-74.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.83 VES 2,483

-24.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$14.80 VES 13.0K

-43.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.88 VES 772

53.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$24.7K VES 21.7M

40.58%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$39.7K VES 34.8M

-12.54%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$167 COP 528.4K

$21.94 VES 19.3K

659.57%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$11.99 VES 10.5K

13.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$37.39 VES 32.8K

-22.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$65.9 VES 57.8K

-31.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$17.83 VES 15.7K

-3.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.53 VES 5,735

6.74%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$790 COP 2.5M

$158 VES 138.4K

400.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$6,066 VES 5.3M

49.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$81.6 VES 71.6K

7.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$51.2 VES 45.0K

13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$136 VES 119.2K

2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$131 VES 115.2K

-24.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$604 VES 529.9K

70.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$425 VES 373.1K

45.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,103 VES 968.0K

70.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$861 VES 755.7K

17.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,464 VES 1.3M

172.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$683 VES 599.8K

149.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$303 VES 266.1K

118.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-50.27%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Caracas

$425 31.8% 31.4% $194

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Caracas

$339 25.4% 13.8% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Caracas

$71 5.3% 65.9% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Caracas

$180 13.5% 4.2% $7.2

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Caracas

$192 14.3% 12.1% $21

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Caracas

$52 3.9% 45.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Caracas

$79 5.9% 33.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $604 in Caracas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 119% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $67.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $339 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Caracas 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Caracas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,006 in Caracas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caracas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 157% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $158 in Caracas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caracas, where all-in costs run around $1,338, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caracas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Caracas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.